Butterflies
by moniquead
Summary: Alice invites Bella out to a club. Chapter 1. This is my first ever fanfic and written solely on my iPhone, hope it comes out okay. Also, I'm English so please excuse any non-Americanisms in my turn of phrase! All reviews/advice greatly appreciated. I will be adding more soon.
1. Chapter 1

Sitting in maths class, idly watching the rivulets of rain chasing each other down the cool paned window, I felt my phone buzz in my warm jeans pocket. Checking that Mr Bailey was still busy scrawling unfathomable simultaneous equations on the blackboard, I slid my phone out and checked the message under the desk:

Text message from Alice: Hey Bella, Carlisle's taking Edward hunting tonight, fancy coming to a club with me?x

A hot smile flooded through me, instantly flushing my face. I let my hair fall from behind my ear over my face, so as to avoid Jessica's questioning scrutiny from the desk beside me. A club... with Alice. A stunningly beautiful, highly intelligent, ferociously strong, future-seeing vampire is asking me, Bella Swan, to a club on a Friday night. I'm four years under age, and the daughter of the Forks Chief of Police for starters. Let alone that I've never been to a proper nightclub, can't dance, haven't a clue what to wear... The phone buzzed in my hand, making me jump.

Text message from Alice: Don't worry, I have everything covered, and you won't have to dance if you really don't want to.x

So very Alice, knowing my thoughts instantly, although she's on the other side of the school right now. So no chance of my making excuses then. Not that I wanted to. Of course the idea of it all scared the hell out of me, but the energy that had already started thrumming inside of me was only part nerves. And I knew, that when Alice said she had everything covered, she meant it, all I needed to worry about was having the confidence to enjoy the experience.

"Bella?" Mr Bailey boomed from the front of the classroom, shaking me from my racing thoughts. I looked at him searchingly, "The value of 'y' if 'x' is 12?"

"Err, 3?" I had no idea.

"That's correct, surprisingly." He grunted begrudgingly. Must be my lucky day...

The school bell rang and we were released from class, Jessica started chatting at me immediately as we made our way out into the crowded corridor towards the cafeteria for lunch, something about a movie she was hoping to see at the weekend with Mike, and how she hoped it would teach him a little about grown up romance. I muttered the right responses in what I hoped were the right places, lost in my own whirlwind.

A thrust of lightning snapped around my waist, bursting through me, cold as ice but impossibly full of fire. Warmth spread through me and fizzed on my skin. Alice.

"So, you're gonna come?" She smiled hopefully, keeping her slender arm loosely around my waist. She was on my other side to Jessica who was trying to subtly peer round me to find out what Alice was talking about. I looked into Alice's eyes, a myriad of amber hues, imploring me to say yes. She must already know my answer, even though she thankfully can't clearly see the future when it involves me directly, she must know I'd love to.

"Sounds cool," I smiled with feigned nonchalence, perhaps partly for ever nosey Jessica's sake. Alice beamed and her eyes literally sparkled in an almost unnerving way. "I have to go now, can I pick you up 6pm? We'll get ready at my place."

"Yeah, great, er..." A tumble of questions tied my tongue, as she started to move away,

"I told you," Alice said, already snaking her way through the students in the bustling corridor, "don't worry! We'll sort everything when we get back to my place." She flashed me one last grin and was gone, for the rest of the school day.

"She's so slim and so pretty," Jessica moaned wistfully, "it's a good job she's so pale and kooky or all the guys in this school would be after her!"

I couldn't find the words to follow that up, so I just followed Jessica into the cafeteria in silence, a secret smile buoying me along.

Our lunch table was busy with chatter of weekend plans, so I avoided any questioning from Jessica and was free to quietly try to eat my cheese salad whilst butterflies hatched in my stomach.


	2. Chapter 2

The afternoon dragged, but then all too soon I was driving home in my truck, barely able to feel my nervous feet on the pedals.

After making a quick pasta dinner for myself, and leaving my dad's in the pan for him to warm when he gets home, I took a long shower. I tried to relax and let the warm stream soothe me, but my mind would not co-operate. I worried if Edward knew about Alice taking me to a club, I wasn't sure he'd approve. For all his protestations of wanting me to live the life of any other 17 year old, I know he'd rather keep me to himself, safe from all possible harms. I do feel very valued and protected by Edward, but the longer I'm with him the more stifling his worries for me become. For all my love for him, and I do adore him, I sometimes can't help but want to break free and enjoy a little risk-taking here and there.

I thought about how excited Alice had seemed earlier, and how incredibly surprised and flattered I am by her attentions. I've never really been a girl for 'best friends', but Alice certainly makes me feel like hers. Maybe just because it's rare that she can have a human friend.

I tried not to think about how my thundering heart was echoing rapidly in my mouth, and tried to pin the symptom down to the nerves of going to a club, but I wasn't quite convincing myself. Alice makes me feel so... Alive. I can't believe that technically, she isn't. She bubbles with life, her eyes shine with energy, and when they connect with mine sparks of the purest light of life seem to fly straight from them and into me, into my soul, buzzing through my body... Shit, I'm over thinking things, and I haven't even shaved my legs yet and it must be 5.30pm at least already.

At exactly 6pm (vampires are so terribly punctual) I heard a loud car pull into the drive. Peeking out of the window (for I was still only half dressed) I saw that Alice was driving a car I hadn't seen before. Glossy black, sleek and powerful looking. I was amused to see Alice checking her reflection in the rear-view mirror. Surely she must have thought "Perfect, as usual", but incredibly she seemed to look away with a small sigh of unfounded dissatisfaction. My phone pinged:  
Alice: I'm here x

I smiled and was mildly puzzled at how she sent me a text message without me seeing her do it, but then again, I did blink.

I clunked out a message back: I know, nice car, see you in two minutes x

I threw a faded black t-shirt on, which I then discovered had shrunk slightly in the wash, and shoved a few possible outfit choices in my bag (in protest of what Alice might try to persuade me to wear of hers). I didn't worry with make-up, as I knew Alice's was far superior and she was happy to share it with me. I packed my toothbrush (whilst realizing I didn't know if vampires brushed their teeth), some pj's, and a few other bits I might need, then checked out the window again, only to see Alice impatiently tapping the steering wheel!

I smirked and ran down the stairs, tripping slightly on the strap of my over-size over-night bag, but thankfully managing to stay upright. As I stepped outside, not yet looking at Alice, or the intimidating car, I fumbled with the keys to double lock the door, and the butterflies that had been kept relatively dormant while I busied myself with getting ready, now flew back with ferocity. I took a deep breath and inwardly scalded myself for being so silly, and turned to face Alice with a forced confidence. She was out of the car, holding the passenger door open for me, with the loveliest of smiles on her exquisite face.

"Good evening Bella, I was beginning to think you'd changed your mind."  
"Erh, no, I..." I got in to the car a little awkwardly, Alice raised an eyebrow, cheekily, waiting for me to finish, then before I knew it, my door was closed and she was in the driver's seat beside me, "...I just can't go any faster than 'human'"

Alice smiled kindly, and with one leather driving gloved hand on the steering wheel, and the other softly against my thigh, just above my knee, "It's cool, I'm just glad you're here now."

"Me too," I blushed. Seemingly not wanting to embarrass me any further at that point Alice politely put both hands back on the steering wheel and turned her attentions to reversing out of the driveway. I shifted in my seat and pulled a few strands of my hair away from my hot neck as Alice put the car into drive, and slid it out of the street with a powerful rumbling purr.

She made a tiny sound, like clearing her throat maybe, and pushed a silver button which opened both of our windows. She craned her elegant neck right out of hers for a couple of seconds, sucking up the fresh air I realized, as opposed to my warm scent which must have been filling the small space. It was so embarrassing, having people (or more specifically, vampires) being able to smell me that much. And when they try to get away from my smell I can never help but think I must smell of sweat or bad breath or something equally unpleasant, which makes me a little panicky, which I think exacerbates the original problem.

Returning her crazily beautiful head to the confines of the car, she glanced at me, and only then looked back to the road, "Dammit Bella, it should be illegal to smell that good!"  
I laughed softly with relief and tried not to blush at Alice's compliment, I muttered a kind of apology,  
"It's ok," She reassured, "I'm sure it's good for my soul to exercise these sort of levels of self-control."

I didn't know what to say to that, and I think Alice was busy trying to focus self-control energies, so silence seemed a good option for the rest of the journey.

I considered my situation. Just four months ago I would never have believed that vampires existed. And if they ever had it was centuries ago and they were evil gruesome creatures who terrified (and usually drained) anyone who had the misfortune of crossing their dark paths. Now I was sat in probably the swankiest car in Forks, hell, in the whole state, with a spectacularly lovely real-life vampire girl driving me back to her mansion, and I'm dating her vampire brother!

And they're really not scary, well, certainly not in any gruesome way. Their disarming beauty and intense presence is a little frightening though. But do I fear for my life when I am around them? No, I feel safer than I ever have. Safe as in protected from harm, but actually very far from safe from my emotions.


End file.
